Synovial giant cells in rheumatoid arthritis and other joint diseases.

The presence of a distinctive multinucleated giant cell has recently been described in the s, a vial membrane in rheumatoid arthlitis and its diagnostic significance has been stressed (Grimley and Sokoloff, 1966; Donald and Kerr, 1968). Although passing reference to the presence of multinucleated synovial cells in rheumatoid arthritis was made by Hirohata and Kobay.-.s'i (1964), thle occurrence of any such cell has not been mentioned in textbooks describing the pathological features of joint diseases (Allison and Gholrmley, 1931; Collins, 1949; Copeman, 1964; Gardner, 1965). Similar giant cells have not so far been observed in any other arthritic condition in man. We have studied the synovial membrane from cases of rheumatoid arthritis and various other arthritic conditions, including tuberculous arthritis, to find out the presence of giant cells and the results are reported here.